Broken Promises, Shattered Dreams
by Friends Babe
Summary: M&C. Monica lives the single life in LA, but whose that handsome actor?
1. Broken Promises

A/N - Well this is my new fic! My last one (The Fire) might not be updated for a while because I'm not sure if people actually want it to be. This takes place in the near future. Monica, Ross, Rachel, Phoebe and Joey were friends. Then they had a fight or something (I don't quite know what yet) but they haven't spoken in about a year. Monica had a big relationship with a guy called Craig. Now Monica lives in LA with Rachel and doesn't really see the rest of the guys. I hope you like it!!!  
Monica looked down at the pile of clothes scattered around her feet. Sometimes she found it hard to believe that she lived in such a mess, if anyone had told her a year ago that she'd be living in LA and be working in fashion she would have laughed in their faces. And if they had told her she'd be doing all this without Craig she would have thought they were insane. She would have said that she and Craig did everything together and were so in love that they were gonna last forever. Their love was like the universe - infinite. But the truth was she was in LA, working in fashion while Craig was . . . . .well he wasn't with her.  
  
"Hey Mon?" Rachel asked as she walked in, quickly scanning the apartment, "you here?"  
  
"Yeah Rach, I'm in the work room" Monica shouted back, though her voice was muffled through the many layers of brick  
  
Rachel threw her bag on the sofa and walked through to the 'work room'. The workroom was simply a large room on the ground floor where Monica kept all the clothes she was sent and the room also housed an exceptionally large collection of fashion magazines. Rachel saw Monica perched on top of a pile on tunic vests. "Hey!" she yelled as soon as she saw her, "What are you doing?! We need those vests for today!"  
  
"I know I know I know!"  
  
Rachel looked over at Monica and began picking up the clothes they would need for today's scenes. In amongst all the mess Rachel couldn't help but notice that Monica didn't seem to mind. A lot had changed since they had moved to LA but at least they still had each other. They hadn't spoken to the rest of the gang in over a year and that suited Rachel just fine, as far as she was concerned; all they needed was each other.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Monica walked into the studio and glanced around for the director. Monica still got a rush of excitement whenever she was on a film set, no matter how, many times she had walked onto one. But movie sets always reminded her of Joey and Craig, no matter how long it had been since she had seen them. She often caught herself wondering what they were up to now, what they were all up to now. Her mom tried to tell her about Ross, but she always stopped her. It was easier to imagine that they were all failures than to hear that he was doing great.  
"Excuse me Ms Geller?"  
  
"Yes Mr Copeland?" Monica replied, looking up at her boss  
  
"My daughter is interested in fashion and so I told her that you and Ms Green would be more than happy to show her around for a day"  
  
"Of course Sir" Monica replied, silently praying she could get out of it, "What day will she be here?"  
"Today Ms Geller. She's waiting in the car" Mr Copeland walked out to fetch his daughter.  
  
Monica quickly walked over to where Rachel was hanging the clothes on rails. "You'll never guess what" Rachel looked blank so Monica continued, "He wants us to babysit his daughter this afternoon"  
"What?! But we're really busy today. It's the last rehearsal day before we shoot!"  
  
Monica sighed, "What can we do? We'll just have to take her"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Right Kathryn, this is where we organise all the clothes for the movies, and that's where the actors try them on. If you want we could try and meet them a bit later. But before them I'd better show you . . . . ."  
  
"Monica! Monica! Monica!" Rachel yelled running over to where Monica was guiding Kathryn around the set, "We really need you!"  
  
"I'm a bit busy right now Rach. . . . "  
  
"Someone's rearranged the wardrobe for tomorrow. We don't know who's wearing what"  
"Jesus can't anyone here so anything right?" she muttered under her breath as she led Kathryn in the direction Rachel was headed.  
Almost 1 ½ later she was still there, working with a strange girl in a silence she thought would suffocate her. Finally, feeling she would drown in the silence she spoke, "So is there any questions you wanna ask me?"  
  
Kathryn merely shook her head, then obviously feeling the weight of the silence as much as Monica started speaking again, "Erm . . . . . .Erm . . . . . . .How did you get into this business?"  
  
Monica sighed, "It's a long story"  
  
"What, like we're goin anywhere"  
  
Monica stopped arranging the clothes and looked straight at Kathryn, before shifting her gaze to the more comfortable position of looking at her feet, "I used to live in New York with all my friends. Me, Rachel, Ross, Joey, Phoebe and Craig. We were always together, as close as friends can be. Rachel and me even lived across the hall from Joey and Craig. Craig was always my best friend, the one I talked to when things got rough, I loved hanging out with him as a friend, but then on a trip we ended up together. We kept it a secret but soon we were so in love we couldn't hide it. I once told Ross that I had lost a best friend but gained a soul mate. I loved him so much it scared me sometimes. We had everything planned out, we were going to get married, have a big house with three kids and a dog called Bouncer. Everything was sorted. Eventually he proposed and we planned the wedding. On the day I got dressed, went to the church and waited for him. And waited, and waited, and waited. He never showed up. When I got back to our apartment there was a note on the table telling me he loved me, but that he'd been having an affair. Once everyone heard about the letter Phoebe came up to me and gave me a big hug, and said she was sorry but she was the one Craig had been cheating on me with. My own friend, the guy didn't even have the decency to sleep with someone I didn't know. By the end of the day I had learned so many things, Phoebe had been sleeping with my fiancée, Joey had let them use his apartment when I was in and Ross and covered for them. The only people who hadn't known were Rachel and me. I was so mad; do you have any idea what it feels like to know that your friends were laughing at you behind you back? To help you plan your wedding when they knew the groom was cheating on you? I hope you never have to. Later that day I packed a case and ran out of the apartment, Rachel saw me and ran after me. By the end of that day we were at the airport. By the morning we had boarded the only plane that was leaving, one to Los Angeles. I'm a chef, but the only jobs we could find were sales assistants in a clothes store. One day we helped a women pick out some clothes and she offered us jobs working on her TV show. And the rest, as they say, is history"  
  
Kathryn looked at Monica, stunned, unable to believe that a complete stranger had just bared her soul for her. She was unable to believe that someone could suffer so much and then land so spectacularly on her feet. She felt compelled to say something, but couldn't find any words that would match up to what Monica had just said. Eventually she spoke,  
  
"So, you just left?"  
  
"Yeah, got on the first plane and never looked back since"  
  
After a long pause Kathryn spoke again, very softly  
  
"God, what a bastard"  
  
Monica gave a small smile, almost to herself and then whispered "But I still love him"  
A/N - Well I hope you like it! This is just a background, scene setting kinda thing. Chandler will be in it very, very, very, very soon!  
  
~Friends Babe~ 


	2. Fate

Authors Note - Thanks for the reviews, and Llew I know they would never to that but as you said the story wouldn't have worked if they hadn't! Well this is chapter 2, like it people please like it! Lol Oh! And Chandler appears in this one!  
  
Monica woke up early that Sunday, which was strange as she usually slept till at least 10. It always made her feel better somehow. Craig hated sleeping in so if she got up late it would be proving that she didn't need him. She knew it was stupid, but it made her feel good all the same. Monica grudgingly removed herself from the safe haven of her bed and walked out onto the landing. Monica smiled as she looked around. She loved her apartment! It was so much bigger than her old one in New York, the apartment where she and Rachel used to live, and the apartment that Joey used to run into every morning for breakfast. Yes this apartment didn't have those things, but who needed them anyway? This apartment was big, and it even had an upper floor where the bedrooms were. But it didn't have her friends, and as much as Monica told herself she didn't need them she did.  
  
After she had gotten dressed she knew she had to get out of the apartment. She didn't have work today and the only thing she could think of doing was getting in her car and driving. Driving to anywhere.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Two hours later she was at the beach (* I am English therefore I do not know the names of any beaches in LA, I am making them up! *), the only place she felt she could be surrounded by people and still completely alone. She lay down on the sand, not caring that she had no towel and felt the warm sand on her back. Gradually she relaxed and soon was asleep.  
  
Suddenly Monica felt a thud on her head and she awoke violently.  
  
"Sorry!" someone yelled from far away, "I'm really sorry" he spoke as he jogged towards her, "I didn't hurt you did I?"  
  
Monica raised her head, fully intending to give this stranger a piece of her mind, but then she saw his eyes and in that moment the words died on her lips.  
  
"No" she heard herself saying, "I'll be fine"  
  
The stranger sat down next to her and offered his hand, "I'm Chandler" he began, "Chandler Bing"  
  
"Monica" she replied shaking hands with him. The electricity she felt in that moment nearly knocked her sideways.  
  
"It's nice to meet you Monica"  
  
"Ditto"  
  
For a minute neither of them spoke, they seemed to be lost in each other's eyes. The entire world seemed to disappear leaving only them. Chandler eventually broke the silence, "At least let me buy you lunch. To say sorry" Monica mealy nodded and followed him silently to his car.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"So" Chandler asked once they had found a table at the small café, "You've not really told me that much about yourself"  
  
"There's not much to tell. I really am pretty boring"  
  
"You could tell me how you ended up in LA, and don't tell me you were born here because your too pale for that. A little like me"  
  
Monica relaxed a little and smiled, "OK you got me! I was born in New York"  
  
"You're kidding! So was I!"  
  
Monica looked at Chandler, unable to believe that they had once been in the same city without even realizing it! But New York was a big city they probably lived on opposite ends of town.  
  
"I miss New York sometimes y'know. My friends and me used to hang out at this little coffee house. Spent some of the best times of my life there"  
  
"I know what you mean. There was this one coffee place, about 5 minutes from my apartment. Had this big orange sofa in the middle and this bleached blonde gay guy owned it" he started to laugh at the memories of days gone by. He glanced up at Monica and abruptly stopped, she looked like she'd seen a ghost. "Mon" he asked quietly "what's wrong?"  
  
"Gunther" she said quietly, "His name was Gunther. I used to live above that coffee place. Me and my friends always sat on the orange couch"  
  
Chandler looked at her; he knew that his face mirrored hers. He had only known this woman for an hour but he felt a connection with her that was stronger than anything else he had ever felt in his life. To know that he had probably been in the same place as her before was spooky.  
  
He smiled at her and whispered one word "Fate"  
  
A/N - Thanks for reading, there will probably be another ½ Chandler, Monica, Rachel chapters before the rest of the guys show up and I'm sorry this was so short but I'm in the middle od revising for me GCSE's so I had to sneak onto the computer!  
  
~Friends Babe~ 


	3. What have I done?

Authors Note - Chapter 3, hope you like!  
  
As they walked along the beach that night Monica found herself thinking of all the times she could have met him. If she had met him Craig would never have come into it. They would still be friends and they'd still be in New York. She felt Chandler gently tug her arm until she was facing him.  
"What you thinking about?" he asked smiling  
  
"Fate" Monica echoed, gazing into his eyes and feeling herself falling. Falling further than she ever had before. Even with Craig she had never felt this connection.  
  
Chandler looked at her, feeling the same way she did. Unable to comprehend the emotions he was feeling. He stared into Monica's eyes, taking in their shape, the light blue almost transparent colour. Eventually feeling he might be lost forever if he didn't say something he spoke.  
  
"What do you do again?"  
  
"I'm a wardrobe chief. I arrange clothes for films and TV shows"  
  
"Cool. Maybe we'll see more of each other then. I'm an actor. That's why I'm in LA"  
  
"Great" Monica replied, "But let's not talk about work"  
  
"What do you wanna talk about then?"  
  
"I'd rather we didn't talk at all"  
  
Chandler looked down at her, understanding. He softly put his hand under her chin and raised her mouth to his. As their lips touched he felt the electricity of the moment surge through his body. He was sure she felt the same. He raised his arms up and ran them through her hair feeling her moan gently. The two became lost in their kiss as their worlds collided and the two became one.  
  
Monica woke up a few hours later and few the first few minutes didn't know where she was. She was briefly aware of the feeling of sand, the only thing she was certain of was that she felt safe, protected, loved. Something she hadn't felt in a long time. She groggily rolled over to see what was giving her that feeling. Just as she turned she heard someone wake up and her heart hit her stomach. Chandler. She'd slept with Chandler. A guy she'd only met a few hours ago. She had never in all her life done something so stupid. She doubted if they had even used protection. God what had she done?!  
  
Silently she untangled herself from Chandler's warm embrace and without waking him dressed and ran. Ran quicker than she had ever ran in her life. Ran to the only place that was safe. Home.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Rachel sat up in the kitchen, a half drunk mug of coffee next to her hand. She'd been sitting in the same spot for the past 2 hours waiting, just waiting. She didn't know what for. Waiting for Monica to come through the front door apologising insanely, or waiting for the police to call and tell her something had happened. Something unbearable. She hadn't seen Monica since last night. She had said goodnight and they had promised they would catch a movie the next day. When she woke up this morning there had been a hastily scribbled not pinned to the fridge,  
  
Rach  
  
Didn't want to wake you. Gone out, don't know where. Be back soon. Pick out a movie!  
  
Mon  
  
Rachel couldn't help thinking that maybe that was the lest thing Monica would ever say to her. Just as she thought she couldn't take it anymore the front door opened. Rachel ran out of the kitchen, into the hall and towards the door, praying it was Monica. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw it was.  
  
"Mon!" she yelled hugging her friend, too scared to let go. When she was satisfied that Monica wasn't going to run off she let her anger surface, "Where the hell were you?! I've been really worried!"  
  
"I was at the beach" Monica said looking sheepish, "I would have called but I fell asleep and then this guy hit me with a ball. I'm alright" she said apprehending Rachel's next question "But he brought me lunch and he was from New York, we just lost track of time. I'm sorry"  
  
Rachel smiled at her friend. She wasn't her mother, Monica was free to do what she liked and Rachel risked losing her if she acted too overprotective. And she couldn't lose Monica; she could not let that happen.  
  
"It's OK," she said hugging her, "Just call me next time, OK?"  
  
Monica nodded and said quietly "There won't be a next time"  
  
The two girls said goodnight and Monica watched as Rachel climbed the stairs to her room. God, she had really let Rach down. Not only that she had let her self down. As she poured herself a cup of coffee and sat at the kitchen table she said quietly to herself  
  
"What have I done?"  
  
A/N - Hope you like, please review, be nice, etc etc. . . . . . .  
  
~*Nina*~ 


	4. Chris Wilmington

Authors Note - Thanks for all the reviews people! They meant a lot to me! And in case you were confused sorry but you'll have to stay that way! You find out what Monica did in a few chapters. Sorry! Anyways here's chapter 3!!  
  
"Monica!" Rachel shouted from downstairs! "Monica get your ass out of bed!" Rachel had to stop herself when she realised what she had just said. God she really had been living with Monica for too long! She went into the kitchen where Monica had put her dirty laundry. She merely glanced at it as she passed on her way to make some breakfast, but she noticed there was a lot of sand on it. She was just about to ask Monica what was the deal when a sudden thought hit her; Monica had gone to the beach yesterday. That was all. No biggie.  
  
Rachel heard Monica making her way down the stairs and poured them both a cup of strong coffee.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Monica walked through the crowds outside the studio and paused for a moment, confused. There was always a small crowd outside. Most of them tourists trying to catch a glimpse of some TV star, but never this many people. She shrugged and continued to walk towards the main gate, only stopping to remove her ID.  
  
"Hey Frank" she said to the security guard. "Has Rachel got here yet?"  
  
"Yeah, bout 5 minutes ago" he said smiling at her, "Hey Mon! You know what's goin on here?"  
  
Monica shook her head and waited until the doors buzzed open and she entered her 'office'.  
  
"Monica thank God you're here!" Rachel shouted, running towards Monica, "Mr Copeland wants to see you. God, what have you done?"  
  
"Nothing" Monica replied a nervous twinge added to her voice, "I guess I'd better go see him"  
  
Monica walked over to the small office that housed the 'chief' Mr Ian Copeland, "Mr Copeland?" she asked gingerly as she stepped into his office, "You wanted to see me?"  
  
Mr Copeland looked up at Monica, for a second confused until realisation dawned on his face, "Ah! Miss Geller. Of course come in. Please take a seat"  
  
"What's this about Sir?" Monica said, deciding there was no time for pleasantries. If she was going to be fired she wanted it to be quick, not drawn out.  
  
"The studio's being used to film some romantic movie for the next few months. They asked me to provide the staff. I wondered if you'd like to be a wardrobe assistant. It would be slightly less pay but there would be some great opportunities. Of course you can think about it, but I need your answer by 2 today"  
  
Monica was stunned. He was picking her. Her. Over Rachel the fashion queen. She was being promoted. And who knows soon she might meet a rich and famous actor and live the high life in Hollywood. What did she need to think about?!  
  
"I'd love to Sir! When do I start?"  
  
Mr Copeland's face smiled slightly, "Now. Your in Studio 4, I'll have someone bring your personal things to you.  
  
"Thanks" Monica waved as she walked out of his office and towards studio 4.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
"OK Jenna who's next?" Monica asked the young women. She had also been moved to work on this movie and was acting as Monica's secretary. Arranging fittings and calling the actors in  
  
"Erm. . . . . " she replied checking her list, "The lead. Character name Chris Wilmington"  
  
"Right send him in" Monica muttered quickly finding the clothes she had preliminary labelled 'lead' "Hello" she said quickly when she heard the door open "If you'd just like to sit down I'll be with you in a second"  
  
"That's OK. I'm on no rush" he replied.  
  
Monica froze  
  
She knew that voice  
  
From the beach  
  
The beach  
  
Chandler  
  
The guy she. . . . . .  
  
Chandler  
  
He was here  
  
Chandler  
  
"Hey are you OK?" he asked a note of concern in his voice  
  
Monica turned to face him  
  
"Chandler"  
  
"Monica"  
  
The two stared at each other, the emotions of the previous night in their eyes. Suddenly a new emotion appeared in Chandler's eyes and he uttered one word  
  
"Why?"  
  
A/N - Hope you like and I'm sorry it's short! Next one will be up soon but I got two fanfics on the go so I'm alternating! 


	5. What's going on?

A/N - WOW! I haven't updated this in SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO long! Sorry and if anyone who was reading this is still reading it then please review! It would mean a lot and again sorry it took so long. But as of June 18th I no longer go to school, even for exams so all I've got to fill my days is shopping, Alton Towers, reading Harry Potter and updating!  
  
~*Nina*~  
  
Monica looked up at Chandler, the man who only yesterday she was wishing to spend more time with. The man she had felt such a connection with. She couldn't give him an answer. All today she had been giving herself excuses. She wasn't ready. She panicked. She didn't know what to do. But now that he was here none of them seemed appropriate.  
  
"Why?" Chandler repeated, "I thought we were getting on?"  
  
Monica looked at him suddenly, "We were!" she almost shouted, "We really were"  
  
"So then why did you leave? You didn't leave a number of anything. I don't even know your last name"  
  
Monica struggled to find the words to explain to him how she felt. To tell him the thoughts that were inside her head, to tell him how she felt whenever she so much as thought of him. No words could ever compare to that.  
  
"I'm sorry" she whispered, "I'm really sorry I just. . . . Well I. . . . . . " Monica struggled to finish, feeling the tears welling up inside her eyes. Feeling she could no longer control them she let them fall, each one sliding silently down her face as she sobbed. As she cried she felt a pair of arms reach out for her, she fell into them and continued to sob - all the emotions of the past year leaving her.  
  
After Monica had finished crying she stayed in Chandler's arms. She felt so warm and protected in them that she didn't want to leave. Eventually Chandler pushed her gently away from his arms and planted a small kiss on her forehead, "You OK?" he asked gently  
  
"I'm fine. I don't even know why I was crying!"  
  
Chandler laughed slightly. "Listen" he began, "Why don't we start over? Pretend the last 24 hours didn't happen. OK?"  
  
"That sounds like the best idea I've heard all year"  
  
"OK then" Chandler took a deep breath and cleared his throat, "Hi. My names Chandler Bing. I'm an actor, I live in LA but every so often I go home to New York"  
  
Monica smiled and began hers, "Hi Chandler. My names Monica Geller. I'm a wardrobe chief, but I used to be a chef. I've only lived in LA for a year"  
  
"It's nice to meet you" Chandler said smiling  
  
"Ditto"  
  
The pair stared at each other. That force that seemed to connect them whenever they stared into each other's eyes started again. Neither of them wanted the moment to end, but both knew it had to. It was Monica, who eventually spoke,  
  
"Well I've only just got this promotion and my boss isn't going to be too impressed if I send the lead out naked so I think we'd better get a move on"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Monica was idly walking around hers and Rachel's kitchen, trying to think of something to cook for their dinner. Jesus! There was nothing in their kitchen! She reached for the phone, while absently mindedly leafing through the take-out menus with her left hand. Suddenly the phone rang. And Monica screamed. Gaining her composure she picked it up of the floor and answered it.  
  
"Hello"  
  
"Hi Mon it's Chandler"  
  
Monica smiled at the sound of his voice. She and Chandler had been dating for almost a month now and it had been the best month of her life. She just couldn't believe she could feel so much for one person. It was unbelievable.  
  
"Hey" she replied, "So what's up?"  
  
"Nothing, I just wondered if you wanted to come over for dinner tonight?"  
  
"Sure, sounds great"  
  
Chandler sounded visibly relieved; "Hey!" he added almost as an afterthought, "Why don't you bring Rachel?"  
  
"Sure. Why?"  
  
"Cos my roommate will be round later and we can pair them off"  
  
Monica laughed as she and Chandler arranged to meet. She couldn't believe how happy she was with him. It was almost too good to be true.  
  
20 minutes later Monica and Rachel were in Chandler's living room, waiting for his roommate to return home so that they could eat. Monica was starving, she hadn't had a decent meal in ages. Rachel was constantly teasing her about how Monica Geller 'Wonder Chef' now lived off leftovers and take-outs. Monica turned to Rachel and mouthed  
  
"God! I'm hungry! Where is this guy?"  
  
Rachel smiled and shrugged before turning back to the TV.  
  
Eventually Chandler walked in with a relieved look on his face. "OK crises over! He's here!"  
  
Monica giggled and stood up, walking over to Chandler and wrapping her arms around his waist, kissing him lightly before they walked into the kitchen. As soon as she did she wished she had stayed in the living room, or better yet stayed at home. The person in that kitchen was the one person she had come all this way to forget about. The one person, well one of the four people she wanted to never see again. Chandler didn't seem to notice when she tensed, or when she reached for his hand. He did notice when Rachel walked in and had to stifle a scream. He shrugged it off though and simply continued to the introductions.  
  
"Monica, Rachel this is my roommate"  
  
"Joey this is Monica and Rachel. My best fashion buddies and the love of my life"  
  
None of them spoke, or offered the other their hand. They just stood there until Chandler was forced to ask  
  
"Hey, what's going on?" 


	6. Life in the Middle

A/N - OK thanks for the reviews! ( They were really sweet! And thanks to Bob who made me aware of what a pathetic, untalented little nobody sounds like when they are jealous! I'm not going to rant too much COS, well everyone's entitled to an opinion and that's his so anyway. . . I went Alton Towers yesterday and OMG!!! Air is AMAZING!! You all HAVE to go on it!! I will now continue. . .  
  
Part 6  
  
"Well?"  
  
Chandler looked them all up and down, his eyes moving from Monica to Joey and back again, sometimes making a quick stop-off at Rachel. No one spoke. And the more there was silence the more worried he got. If Monica, the women he loved and the women he thought could tell him anything, couldn't tell him the story of her and Joey then it must be too terrible to even contemplate. He was just in the middle of the 'Someone Killed Someone's Mother/Sister/Pet Rabbit' theory when Monica cleared her throat.  
  
"So" she said staring Joey straight in the eye, "Whose going to tell him?"  
  
Chandler watched as Joey squirmed under her gaze and dropped his eyes to the floor. Focusing on the chipped tile underneath him. A thought struck him then. They had dated. Monica and Joey must have been involved and then broke up. It was probably just awkward for them. That was all. He breathed a sigh of relief and tried to force his smile to reappear. Monica chose that moment to speak. After a quick glance to Rachel she looked at Chandler. Her normally beautiful blue eyes clouding over. He looked at her, his heart once again plummeting.  
  
"You remember how I told you about Craig?"  
  
Chandler flicked through his memory until he came to the name, "You fiancé? The one who. . . "  
  
". . . cheated on me. Right. And the friends?. . . "  
  
". . . who didn't tell you?"  
  
"Yeah. Well you're looking at one of them"  
  
Chandler was confused for a second. Looking at them? But he was looking at. . . And then it hit him. It was Joey. Joey was the one who had hid everything from her. The friend she had moved all the way to LA to escape. And he had just introduced the two of them. As he stood in the middle he didn't know whose side he should be on. Joey was his roommate, his best friend, a guy he would do anything for. But Monica was his girlfriend, the love of his life. His soul mate. How was he meant to choose between them?  
  
His eyes flickered on each of them. Best friend. Soul mate. Best friend. Soul mate. Best friend. Soul mate. Before he could make the decision it was taken out of his hands.  
  
Monica burst into tears and ran from the kitchen. Both Rachel and Chandler tried to run after her but Joey stopped them both.  
  
"No" he said quietly, but forcefully, "I'm the one who did this. I'll go"  
  
Chandler and Rachel just watched in silence as he went. Only speaking after they heard the door bang shut.  
  
"Was that the right thing to do?"  
  
Chandler gave a wry smile, "Well, there's not much we can do about it now"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Monica looked down at the sea. It always looked so black at night (*A/N - I've forgotten if this is at night or not. Sorry. If it started off during the day pretend Monica's been gone for ages (or there's been an eclipse. . .*) Almost like oil. But not quite, oil was ugly and this just looked like the most beautiful thing ever. It was almost completely still. It seemed a shame to disturb it. Monica picked up the small stone that was lying close to her plastic cup of tea and threw it. Threw it as hard as she could. Despite ruining the peaceful ocean she felt some satisfaction as the stone hit the water, throwing spray around. Monica felt a little, just a little, of the tension leave her.  
  
"Hey" she heard someone whisper, "OK if I join you?"  
  
Monica remembered that voice. It was Joey. Joey who she'd just run away from. But right now she just didn't care. "Sure" she said shrugging. Her eyes remaining on the few ripples left in front of her. For a minute they both sat there in silence. Neither wanted to initiate the conversation, although both knew one of them had to. Eventually Joey spoke.  
  
"I think we need to talk"  
  
Monica smiled at this statement. Joey Tribianni. The Joey Tribianni starting a conversation with 'we need to talk' it was almost too much to believe. But Monica knew he was right. She'd abandoned her friends to move here and, at first she had hated them, but now she was just sick of being angry. She missed them all, even Phoebe sometimes. Missed when Joey did his fake ' no call-back' thing, she missed Phoebe coming over and telling them what her psychic had said this week, heck, she even missed Ross boring them all with tails of dinosaurs. She sometimes missed Craig's dumb jokes, the little things she saw and knew he'd have something to say. But she missed him less than all the others. She still associated him with all the pain she had felt when she left; she never did that to Phoebe. She didn't know why. Maybe she was just never that happy with Craig, had just convinced herself that he was The One because he was the one that was there. It was still easier to hate Craig than to try and forgive him.  
  
Joey started again, unsure of what to say to her. He took a deep breath and just said the first things that came into his brain, "I'm sorry Mon. We all are. We never meant to. . ."  
  
"Hurt me?" she spat out, "No of course not. Why silly you! Thinking I'd be upset by the fact that my fiancé was cheating on me and all my friends knew! Like I'd be upset!"  
  
"We tried to find you. Ross was distraught. We thought you'd done something stupid. There was no note. Nothing. Just an empty apartment. Hell all your clothes were still there! Ross kept thinking that every time the phone rang it would be the police. Saying. . . saying. . .saying. . . "  
  
"That I'd killed myself? Joey, Craig was good but he wasn't THAT good"  
  
"I'm sorry OK? It was a stupid thing to do and I know your not going to believe me but we only did it because we cared about you. Craig said he was gonna finish it and we believed him. I'm sorry and I honestly don't know what else to say except I'm sorry"  
  
Monica smiled, the sea breeze soothing her as she remembered all the good times. Joey was her friend and it must have taken some guts to apologise to her tonight. I mean for one thing he was a guy and guys just don't do apologies. And then he was Joey. She smiled again before picking up the cup of tea, which had probably gone cold by now. Ah well! Let him suffer. She turned towards him and offered the cup.  
  
"So what's going on with you?"  
  
And so they sat. Talking for the next few hours. Talking until the ocean was no longer black but invisible. Talking until they could no longer see their own hands in front of their faces. As they walked back to Chandlers apartment. Chandler and Joey's apartment, Monica corrected herself. They talked some more. By the time they had reached the front door they were both exhausted. Having walked and bared their souls at the same time. Well, the last one was mostly Monica.  
  
Joey placed his hand on the small of her back as he opened the door and guided them in. He assumed Chandler would be asleep. It was nearly one AM. He assumed wrong.  
  
"Jesus! Monica!" He yelled as he raced towards them both, grabbing Monica and pulling her into a gigantic bear hug, swinging her round the room not daring to let go in case she went off again. "I was so worried" he whispered into her neck, "I thought something had happened . . .I thought"  
  
"Sssshhh" Monica soothed, "It's OK" she whispered as she kissed his neck reassuringly.  
  
She entangled herself from his embrace and walked over to the counter, pouring herself a glass of water.  
  
"So" Chandler asked as he walked over to her, "What did you two talk about?"  
  
"Not much. Just stuff"  
  
Chandler smiled, "Am I to take that as a 'None of you business Chandler'?"  
  
Monica laughed, "If you don't mind"  
  
Chandler shook his head and leaned over to kiss her. "Rachel's in the spare room. I'm heading on up. See you in the morning"  
  
Monica nodded and watched him go. He was so much better than Craig. Heck anyone was better than Craig, but there was only one Chandler. As she finished her water she started the slow walk to the bedrooms. Suddenly all she wanted to do was curl up in bed next to a man who loved her. At the door of the bedroom she turned towards Joey, who was still standing in the hallway behind the kitchen.  
  
"You not tired?"  
  
Joey looked at her, unsure of what she was implying. Unsure of why she was suddenly acting as if the past year had never happened. He looked at her and for the second time that evening said the first thing that came into his head,  
  
"Why are you doing this Monica?"  
  
She smiled, "I'm just an incredibly nice person" With that she turned and walked through the door, leaving Joey standing still, staring after her. Wondering what had possessed him to jeopardize a friendship with a girl like Monica. 


End file.
